Current-motor.



PATENTED AUG. 7, 1906.

N. R. SMITH. CURRENT MOTOR. APPLICATION FILED MAY20,1905.

IN VEN T 0R ml nomas nuns ca., runmmn, n. c.

PATENT OFFICE.

NORMAN R. SMITH, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

CURRENT-MOTOR.

ivo. 827,889.

i Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 7, 1906.

Application filed May 20,1905. -Serial No. 261.419.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, NORMAN R. SMITH, a citizen ofthe United States, anda resident of Seattle, King county, Washington, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Current-Motors, of which the following isa specification. y

My invention relates to an improvement in current-motors, and comprisesthe novel parts and combinations thereof hereinafter described, andparticularly set forth in the claims.

The object of my invention isto improve and simplify devices of thischaracter.

The drawings accompanying herewith illustrate my invention in the formnow preferred by me. l

Figure 1 shows a plan view of the device. Fig. 2 is an elevation of theblade'which lies in the water, the boom being shown in crosssection; andFig. 3 isan elevation showing means by which my invention may be coninected with any mechanism which it is de- 1 direction.

sired to operate thereby.

My device is intended for use in situations where it is desired toutilize a portion of the power contained in a iiowing stream of water.

' The principal features of my device com-y prise a boom pivoted toswing across the current and carrying upon its free end a blade likewisemounted upon a vertical pivot ,which pivot islocated back of the centerof gravity of the blade, and means by which this blade may bereversed-in position when the boom reaches the extremity of its swing in eitherThe manner in which this may be carried out is capable of considerablevariation. That which is hereinillustrated is that which atL present ispreferred by me.

The boom 2 is mounted to swing upon a` vertical pivot 3, which pivot iscarried by any suitable and convenient support. That herein shownconsists of a float or platform 1, secured to piles 24. In the case of afloat the connection with these piles may be of such character that thefloat may readily rise and fall in accordance with the difference inelevation of the river surface. The particular construction ofthesupport for this mechanism is, however, not material, as it would bevaried under different conditions. The arrow shown in Fig.v 1illustrates the direction of iiow of the water. The solid-line positionof the boom indicates the center of its swing in opposite directions.The position of the parts at or near one extreme of their swing is shownby dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The blade 4 is pivoted by a vertical pivot 5 to the downstream end ofthe boom. The pivot 5 is located somewhat back of the center of gravityof the blade 4. As a consequence of this the effect of the flowing waterupon the blade when in an inclined position tends to throw the forwardor upstream end of the blade around toward'the back. This tendency isresisted when the blade reaches a certain point by means of the chain,rope, or similar member 6, which is connected with the upstream end ofthe .blade and which passes over guides 9, carried by the boom at apoint adjacent the upstream end of the blade. The chain 6 is conductedfrom the guides 9 along the boom toward the pivot 3 and branches intotwo parts 7 and 8, which pass through guides 10, carried by the boom ata point toward but somewhat removed from the pivot of the boom. The twoVbranches 7 and 8 are led, respectively, in opposite directions from theboom and are secured to fixed points located laterally from the boom.

As the water strikes the inclined blade 4 it deflects it laterally, thusswinging the boom` to one side. As the boom approaches the extremity ofits lateral swing the connection through the chain 6 tends to pull theupstreamV end of the blade toward the boom until the blade has beenbrought straight with the current. Any further movement or any slightdeflection of the current will then throw the blade to the opposite sideof the center line, whereupon the blade is then inclined to the currentin an opposite direction from that which previously existed, and thecurrent acting upon the inclined blade swings the boom in the oppositedirection. This reversal of the blade occurs at each extremity of theswing of the boom. This action of the blade is .due partly to the changein the posi- IOQ tiondue to the swinging of the boomand partly to thelateral direction of the branches 7 and 8, leading from the boom. Aslthe boom swings in one direction the branch which lies to the directionfrom which the boom is swinging is tightened andthe chain IOS is drawnthrough its guides and 'the upper edge of the bladev pulled closer tothe boom. When, however, the blade is reversed, the angular direction ofthe blade andboom has less divergence than when the boom is in. its

IIO

central position. This tendsto produce a v more nearly constant angularposition of the blade in the current than if the blade was secured tothe boom by a chain of fixed and constant length, and therefore tends toincrease the eectiveness of the current upon. the blade.

The upstream end of the boom 2 is continued beyond the pivot 3 and ispreferably provided with a counterweight 18 to compensate for the longextension of the boom downstream from the pivots and whatever is carriedby said downstream end.

My device may be employed for any purpose for which power is desired.One obvious purpose is for the pumping of water. In Fig. 1 I have shownmy device as connected with a pump. This pump consists of a cylinder 11,secured to the platform or iioat and extending transversely of thegeneral direction of the boom. The piston 12 has its rod 13 extendingoutward through one end of the pump and through a fixed guide 14. Thisrod is connected by means of a short connecting-rod 15 withthe boom. Incase it is desired to operate other apparatus than a pump or to use thepower away from the platform or fioat u on which the boom is pivotedthis may be one by various devices. One device is shown in Fig. 3 andconsists of a lever 19, pivoted upon a pin 20, carried by a frame 23,mounted upon the platform. This lever 19 is adapted to be engaged by theboom and swung in opposite directions. The lever 19 is provided withholes 25, whereby a rod 22 may be connected therewith and led to theapparatus which it is desired to operate.

In a4 device of the character herein described it is desirable that theload may be freed from the boom at the extremity of its swing, so as .toinsure greater certainty in the reversing of the blade. In other words,if

the full load is kept on the boom clear up toV the time of the reversalof the blade the power which the blade receives from the current may notbe sufficient to secure this reversal. To obviate this, I have providedmeans by which the load may be released from the boom just before itreaches the extremity of its swing. These means, as shown in Fig. 1,consist of providing chambers 16 in each end of the pump of suchcharacter that 1 when the piston reaches them the water has free accesswith both sides of the piston, and the resistance is thereby removed.The same result is secured in the mechanism shown in Fig. 3 by makingthe arms ofthe yoke 21 of such length that they will ride j upon the tosurface of the boom just before it reaches t e extremity of its swing.The same result may of course be secured in various ways.

The action of the blade at the time of reversal is very like that of asail which is gybed with a free sheet-that is, as it passes the positionwhere it is parallel with the current- 6 5 flow the water catches it andthrows it quickly over to the opposite angular position. The blade maytherefore be said to be gybed from oneI position to another by theactionv of the current.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. A current-motor comprising a boom pivotally mounted to swing acrossthe current, a blade pivoted to the free end of said boom upon a pivotwhich is back of its center of gravity, ropes `or like exible connectionfrom the upstream end of the blade to fixed connection laterally removedfrom each side of the boom and guides for said ropes carried by the boomadjacent the upstream edge of the blade.

2. A current-motor comprising a boom pivotally mounted to swing acrossthe current, said boom having an upstream extension beyond its pivot anda counterweight thereon, a blade pivoted to the downstream end of saidboom upon a pivot which is back of the center of gravity of said blade,ropes or like fiexible connection from the upstream end of the blade tofixed points laterally removed from each side of the boom and guides forsaid ropes'carried by the boom adjacent the upstream edge of the blade.

3. A current-motor comprising a boom pivotally mounted to swing acrossthe current, a blade pivoted to the downstream endv of said boom by apivot which is located back of the center of gravity of said blade,ropes or like flexible connections from the upstream end of the blade tofixed points laterally removed from each side of the boom, guides forsaid ropes carried by the boom adjacent the TOO upstream edge of theblade and a powertransmitting mechanism connected with said boom andprovided with means for releasing the load connection at the ends of thestroke. 4. A current-motor comprising a boom mounted to swing across thestream, a blade pivoted to the downstream end of the boom by a pivotlocated downstream from its center of gravity, a rope or like flexiblemember connected with the upstream end of said blade, a guide carried bythe boom adjacent the upstream end of the blade, guides carried by saidboom nearer its pivot, said rope branching and the branches passingthrough said last-mentioned guides and secured at fixed points locatedrespectively on opposite sides of the boom.

5. A current-motor comprising a boom mounted to swing across the stream,a blade pivotedto the downstream end of the boom by a pivot locateddownstream from its center of gravity, a rope or like fiexible memberconnected with the u stream end of said blade, a guide carried y theboom adjacent the upstream end of the blade, guides carried by said boomnearer its pivot, said rope branching and the branches passing throughsaid last-mentioned guides and secured at 'fixed points locatedrespectively 0n opposite sides oi' the boom, a power-transmitting leverpivoted to swing in a plane substantially at right angles to the boomand having a yoke embracing the boom, said lever and yoke being designedto have the yoke ends ride upon the boom as the latter reaches the endsof its stroke whereby the boom is momentarily freed 'from the loadresistance.

6. A current-motor comprising a boom mounted to swing across thecurrent, a blade ivoted to the free end of the boom byapivot ack of itscenter of gravity, means for reversing the bladeI at the ends of theswing by the movement of the boom, and means Jfor 8. A current-motorcomprising a boom mounted to swing across the current, a blade pivotedto the swinging end of the'boom by a vertical ivot located downstreamfrom the center o gravity of the blade, means for restraining theupstream end of the blade to limit the amount of its swing, and meansfor reversing the position of the blade by the swing of the boom.

9. A current-motor comprising `a boom mounted to swing across thecurrent, a blade pivoted t0 the swinging end ofthe boom by a pivotlocated downstream from the center of gravity of the blade and means forlimiting the angular osition of the blade relative to the boom, w erebytheblade is gybed by the current as the boom reaches the extremities ofits swing.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto afxed my signature, this 27th dayof April, 1905 in the presence of two witnesses.

NORMAN R. SMITH.

Witnesses:-

H. L. REYNOLDS, PAUL A. TALBOT.

